


let me keep you company

by fleurting



Category: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV)
Genre: Accidentally Bumping Into Each Other, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-13
Updated: 2019-07-13
Packaged: 2020-06-03 15:47:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19467133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fleurting/pseuds/fleurting
Summary: "What are you---"“Doing here? You ask that a lot. Why do you always have to be all up in my business, Rosa?”





	let me keep you company

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mlraven](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mlraven/gifts).



Rosa’s favorite library is just five blocks from her apartment. She actually picked her apartment _because_ of its proximity to the library. Not only is it beautiful, with large, open windows that rays of sunlight shine through, highlighting the old, wooden shelves and making everything look bathed in gold but all of the patrons seem to respect the sacredness of the library. It’s never too loud or too crowded but it’s popular enough that there isn’t any risk of it being closed down.  
  
She usually goes there alone, usually when she’s worried about something and wants to be distracted by other people’s fictitious problems, but her sister had called, on the verge of tears, begging her to take her niece for the day as she’d been called into work unexpectedly and couldn’t find a sitter and Rosa’s apartment isn’t exactly conducive to entertaining a seven-year-old. The library has a children’s department, a place Rosa has taken great care to stay far away from, and she knows they always have different events going on, thanks to the brightly colored flyers that hang on the billboard by the reference desk. She’d looked online this morning as soon as she’d gotten the call from her sister, and sure enough, the library was having storytime at 10:30.  
  
Diana isn’t at all happy about being forced to spend the day with Rosa. She’s in a phase right now where she hates everything and everyone, but especially her family. It’s like she’s going through puberty five years too early. Rosa catches snippets of what she’s saying as they walk through the library to the children’s department. Libros son aburridos...biblioteca estúpida...Tia Rosa estúpida. Rosa has to hide her smirk. Diana loves to mutter what she’s really thinking under her breath in Spanish. For some reason, she thinks her parents and Rosa can’t speak it, despite the fact that they were the ones to teach it to her.  
  
The children’s department is colorfully decorated and while still quiet, much louder than Rosa’s used to. Kids of all ages are gathered together on a rug with the alphabet on it. A rainbow stool is in the middle of the room, clearly the place for the reader to sit. There are a few books in the chair, all ones that Rosa doesn’t recognize. JuliAn Is a Mermaid, Islandborn, I Am Enough, We Don’t Eat Our Classmates.  
  
Diana, not shy like her mother or borderline antisocial like Rosa had been as a child, immediately goes to sit down with the other kids without Rosa needing to tell her to. Rosa stands at the back of the room, arms crossed and most intimidating expression on as a way to ward off parents from trying to talk to her.  
  
A librarian comes in, quieting everyone down, and getting everything started.  
  
“We have a very special guest today,” the guy says excitedly. “She’s a bit of a local _celebrity_.” Rosa rolls her eyes. That probably means it’s Chorus Member #5 from an off-broadway play or someone who had a role in an Olive Garden commercial.  
  
“Please welcome YouTube sensation Gina Linetti!”  
  
Rosa freezes. _Gina_?  
  
There’s a light smattering of applause and Rosa’s willing to bet that most of the parents clapping have no idea who Gina is.  
  
Rosa watches silently from her spot in the back as Gina introduces herself and reads to the kids. She’s surprisingly good at it. She does different voices for each character, and they all sound distinctly different. The kids eat it up. The adults too.  
  
She answers a few questions and tells a few jokes and then the librarian is rushing them out, encouraging them to explore the library.  
  
Rosa walks up to Gina once everyone’s gone. “So, storytime, huh?”  
  
Gina doesn’t look surprised, so she must have noticed Rosa. She’s always had a good eye. Rosa’s always thought she could be a detective if she tried. “Hey, Rosa. Yeah, my manager says its good publicity.” Gina rolls her eyes.  
  
“Cool,” Rosa says and says her goodbyes, grabbing Diana.  
  
She didn’t call her on it, but Rosa’s a detective. A good one. With a keen eye. She noticed the NO CELL PHONES ALLOWED sign as soon as she walked in the room.  
  
Gina wasn’t doing it for the publicity.

* * *

  
  
Rosa takes her abuelita to bingo every Wednesday night. She’d stopped believing in a higher power in her teens and had spent months fighting with her parents about it. It was her abuelita who had finally managed to make peace between them, offering a deal that Rosa didn’t have to come to church with the family every week, as long as she still came on holidays. Rosa, knowing that was the best offer she was going to get, readily accepted.  
  
Abuelita used to go to bingo by herself, despite Rosa’s dad’s protests, but the subway is hard on her knees, and even worse on her memory. Bingo isn’t actually held at the church, it’s at a community center a few blocks away, so when Abuelita had not so subtly implied that she needed one of her “nietos preciosos” to accompany her, Rosa had offered, somewhat unreluctantly. She loves her abuelita and bingo isn’t that bad, especially if she and Abuelita have knocked back a few Águilas a few hours earlier. (Rosa really loves her abuelita.)  
  
Rosa stands silently by Abuelita’s side as she greets everyone, literally _everyone_ , in the building. They finally sit down, a good half hour they’d first arrived when someone lets out a shriek behind them. Rosa’s first instinct is to reach for her gun, but she never carries a gun around Abuelita since Abuelita doesn’t like them.  
  
Rosa whirls around, shocked to find Gina standing in front of her.  
  
“What---,” she starts to say but is cut off by Gina squealing again.  
  
“Abuelita!” Gina cries, completely ignoring Rosa and pulling Abuelita into a hug, loudly smacking a kiss on both of her cheeks. “Cómo está usted?”  
  
“Mija!” Abuelita cries and Rosa’s eyebrows rise high enough to meet her forehead. “How are you?”  
  
Apparently, neither of them actually want an answer to their questions as they start discussing people Rosa doesn’t know instead of answering.  
  
Rosa only gets a word in once they have to stop for breath. “What are _you_ doing here?”  
  
Gina, because of knowing Rosa and because of just being Gina isn’t offended by the question.  
  
“I used to come with my nana. Nana Linetti _loved_ bingo night. A little too much if you know what I’m saying.”  
  
Rosa doesn’t.  
  
“She got kicked out, Rosa!” Gina says like it should be obvious. “For cheating!”  
  
“Si,” Abuelita says, “but we love Gina too much to see her go so now she’s our announcer!”  
  
Abuelita’s looking at Gina the same way Rosa sister looks at Diana or the way Rosa looks at freshly sharpened knives.  
  
Gina is, predictably, completely over the top and a few too decibels too loud, even if they are in a group of senior citizens. But they seem to love her. She knows everyone by name and seems to have an inside joke with almost everyone there. Rosa’s overheard three different people, not including her abuelita, call her mija.  
  
If she ever thought about it, Rosa would’ve figured that Gina hated old people, or was at least awkward around them. But she’s entirely in her element. She’s as ecstatic as the winners when they call out bingo and what’s even more surprising is that Rosa can tell she actually she _means_ it. She’s genuinely happy for them. For once, she’s not putting on a performance.  
  
Rosa’s seen glimpses of the real Gina before, just like Gina’s seen glimpses of the real Rosa, but never for such a prolonged period of time.  
  
She likes Gina like this, entirely herself.

it's kind of...endearing.   
  
Even if she could stand to tone it (it being well, _everything_ ) down a little.

* * *

  
  
Rosa loves the squad. She does. They’re like her family. But sometimes she just wants to be around people who _get it_. Who get what it’s like to go through life not being straight. She can get that from Holt but it’s not the same with just two people as it as when it’s an entire group. The sense of camaraderie, of shared experience, isn’t as big, as substantial, and sometimes she doesn’t want that, sometimes she likes it when it’s just her and Holt, like when the two of them go to Leslie Lohman together.  
  
But other times she just wants to feel like she truly _belongs_ in a crowd, like she doesn’t have to her censor herself.  
  
She knows the team wouldn’t want her to censor herself but habits are hard to break. Especially ones you’ve had since you were nothing but a kid and just realizing you liked chasing Jessica just as much as you liked chasing Jason.  
  
Which is why she has a completely separate group of gay friends.  
  
Mariko and Denise have been throwing GA(Y)ME NIGHT (their spelling, not hers) for as long as she’s known them.  
  
It’s mostly just an excuse to have all of them together under one roof of a place that isn’t a bar. Bars are great for hooking up, but they’re a little lacking when it comes to just wanting to talk to someone.  
  
It’s a few hours later when Rosa finds herself on the couch and abandoned by Tyrone who’s she spent the last half an hour fawning over Janelle Monáe with. He’d abandoned her as soon as his “It’s not a crush, I’m not twelve,” crush had walked through the door.  
  
She’d get up and go find Mariko or Denise, but she’s a little buzzed and the couch is comfortable. The buzz of chatter around her is kind of soothing, and she finds herself starting to drift off. She’d never do this anywhere else, but she knows this place and these people, and she trusts them, as much as she trusts anyone. She’s just starting to truly drift off when she feels someone sit down beside her.  
  
“Woah, there. You alright?”  
  
Rosa opens her eyes and her vision eventually clears enough that she can see who asked the question. “Gina?” Rosa asks, cursing the fact that her voice comes out soft and confused.  
  
“Oh, hey, Rosa. I didn’t know you were here.”  
  
“What are you---,”  
  
Gina cuts her off. “Doing here? You ask that a lot. Why do you always have to be all up in my business, Rosa?”  
  
Rosa just stares at her.  
  
Gina sighs. “Mariko and Denise invited me. Obviously.”  
  
“Yeah but---”  
  
“But this is a gays only event? Go home?” Gina asks, a smirk behind her eyes.  
  
Rosa finds herself smiling without meaning to.  
  
“Well, surprise, Rosa. I’m gay!”  
  
_That_ causes Rosa to sober up some. “What? Since when?”  
  
“Eh, since always, I guess? But I didn’t realize until you came out.”  
  
Rosa’s had too much alcohol to be able to process this information. Plus, Gina's hair is really shiny. And pretty. So are her eyes. “Oh?”  
  
Luckily, Gina’s always happy to talk more than her fair share.  
  
“Yeah, I was thinking about how you came out and got me wondering, how many people come out later in life, you know? Or don’t realize they’re gay until they’re older? There are all these stories about kids _always_ knowing they were gay which is great but I wondered how many people there were who _didn’t_ always know, or who didn’t realize. And so one day I was bored and I read all these posts about people who went through life thinking that everyone was like them. That _everyone_ thought both men and women were attractive. And I was like oh shit. I’ve always thought hot people were just hot, you know? Like, you know how fake woke guys can admit that other guys are attractive because their secure in their sexuality or masculinity or some bullshit?”  
  
This is the most Rosa’s heard Gina talk about something important. “Anyway, I had this epiphany. I’ve _always_ thought people were hot, regardless of gender. I thought I was just open-minded or whatever. But it turns out,” Gina says, leaning closer and lowering her voice to a whisper like it’s a secret. “I’m just hella gay.”  
  
Rosa wants to be supportive, she really does. But she can’t help but laugh at that sentence. Gina snorts and starts laughing with her.  
  
They laugh for a lot longer than the sentence deserves, undoubtedly because of all the alcohol they’ve consumed. Gina sighs as their laughter dies out and Rosa turns to look at her.  
  
“I’m glad you told me.”  
  
Gina grimaces. “Gross, don’t get all sappy on me, dude. Wanna go kick Mariko and Denise’s asses at Charades?”  
  
“Hell yes.”

* * *

  
Rosa may not have loved being a ballerina but she loved ballet. She teaches a class whenever she has the time. She tries to do it every week but it doesn’t always work out with the precinct’s schedule.  
  
She’s doing the last of her stretches, about to call everyone to attention when the door opens, and she turns to find Gina standing in her studio. Her hair’s pulled back into a bun, the ballet shoes on her feet look like they're actually the right size, and she’s even wearing the standard pink leotard. Only it’s been emblazoned with a giant, glittering G.  
  
“What are you doing here?” Rosa barks. She doesn’t like when coworkers, or, former coworkers, invade her personal life. She likes keeping the professional and private parts of her life separate. _Very_ separate.  
  
“Dancing, Rosa. Duh,” Gina says, looking like she can’t believe Rosa would ask such an incredulous question. “What are _you_ doing here?”  
  
“It’s my class!”  
  
“Oh, really?” Gina looks around the studio. “Nice. I didn’t know who was teaching. My dance instructor just told me to show up here today at four because my dancing lacked “grace” and “balance” and if I was lucky, ballet might 'help me.'" Gina rolls her eyes.  
  
Rosa closes her eyes and counts to ten. She and her therapist have been working on her anger issues.  
  
“Fine. Whatever.” She doesn’t have time to deal with this right now. “Just do what I say and pretend like you don’t know me.”  
  
Gina mock salutes. “Aye, aye, cap’n.”  
  
Rosa has to count to ten again.  
  
Gina mouths off a few times, earning glares from the girls who are vying for the role of prima ballerina, even though there isn’t a prima ballerina, this is just an extracurricular dance class and a few quickly hidden smiles from the dancers in the back.  
  
“Good,” Rosa says, nodding approvingly at Nadia and Julio. Not that she would ever say this to anyone, especially not to them, but those two are her favorites.  
  
She scans the rest of the room, sighing as she watches Gina attempt an arabesque. She walks over to her.  
  
“You’re twisting your hips. You need to keep them square.”  
  
Surprisingly Gina doesn’t question her, just nods, biting her lip in concentration.  
  
“Better,” Rosa says, “but not perfect. Here,” Rosa hovers with her hands a few inches away from Gina’s hips. Gina nods her consent and Rosa’s hands come down on either side of her, twisting her hips into place. She’s bonier than Rosa would’ve thought.  
  
“There,” Rosa says, stepping back. “Now, remember to keep your shoulders square and engage your torso.”  
  
Rosa watches as Gina gets into formation and tries again, this time the pose almost perfect.  
  
Rosa’s seen Gina dance before. She’s not exactly graceful. But she looks it now, her shorter legs extended in a way that makes them look longer, her fingers held out delicately, her collarbones peeking out from her garish leotard.  
  
Rosa doesn’t look at straight girls. She’s been down that path before and it never ends well. But ever since Gina had come out to her at the party, she can’t stop looking at Gina and thinking about her in ways she hadn’t ever considered before.  
  
Like now, when she should just look awkward, she just looks elegant. Kind of...beautiful.  
  
Rosa clears her throat and steps away from her. “Good,” she says gruffly and rushes off to help another student.  
  
——  
  
“What was that about?” Gina asks, coming up to Rosa after everyone else in the class has left. “Seemed _serious_.” She pronounces it the same way one would if they tried to say _srz_ out loud.  
  
“Nothing,” Rosa says, packing up her stuff. “It’s none of your business.”  
  
“C’mon, Rosa,” Gina whines. “Let Auntie Gina help.”  
  
Rosa makes a face at that but considers telling her. Gina must have connections now, with her newfangled internet fame, she might know someone who could help.  
  
Rosa huffs. “I do this pro-bono. A lot of my students don’t have the money for classes, let alone leotards and shoes. We rely on sponsors to give the people who can’t afford it scholarships. But one of our sponsors just pulled out unexpectedly. Now, we’ve gotta try and find a new one or else somebody’s gonna lose their scholarships.”  
  
“Ouch. That sucks.”  
  
“Whatever,” Rosa says, voice going deeper, the way it always does when she’s trying to hide she’s enjoying. “People suck. I’ll figure it out.”  
  
Gina looks dubious but just sing-songs “Later!” as she walks out the door.  
  
Rosa gets a call from her contact at the company that organizes all the dance classes. Maureen tells her not to worry, a new sponsor has already been found. When Rosa presses her about it, she finds out that the sponsor is someone by the name of L. Ginetti.  
  
Rosa’s feels like her heart physically _warms_ when she hears the name. And that’s when she realizes it. Somehow Gina, without Rosa knowing it, has wormed her way into Rosa’s heart. Somehow, Rosa, without her own approval, has developed _feelings_ for her. She's always had a bit of a soft spot for her. She always thought it was just because she found Gina's antics amusing. Apparently not.   
  
Shit.  
  
Time to call in reinforcements.

* * *

  
  
Rosa collapses into a seat across from Jake and Amy.

Amy looks up, french fry halfway to her mouth. "How did you find us?"

"Detective," Rosa says briskly. “And unimportant. I think I like Gina.”  
  
“Gina?” Jake asks. “Gina who? Torres? I know. She’s fantastic. Who is out there not casting her in stuff?” Jake shakes his head at the absurdity.  
  
“No, idiot. Our Gina.”  
  
“ _Our_ Gina?” Jake asks.  
  
“Gina _Linetti_?” Amy says, sounding incredulous.  
  
“That…,” Jake trails off, eyes desperately asking for Amy to save the sentence.  
  
“Makes sense,” says Amy.  
  
“Right! Wait, what?” Jake turns to look at her, eyebrows drawn together in confusion. “It does?”  
  
“Yeah, it’s like magnets.”  
  
“Magnets,” Jake repeats, clearly not understanding the connection.  
  
“Yes, magnets. Every magnet has a north pole and a south pole. If you place the North pole of one magnet near the North pole of another magnet, they repel each other. But if you place a North pole of one magnet near a South pole of a different magnet, they attract.”  
  
Jake and Rosa look at Amy with blank faces. Amy sighs. “Opposites attract.”  
  
“Then why didn’t you just say that?” Rosa asks.  
  
Amy frowns. “I thought I did.” She looks like she's severely questioning the effectiveness of the public Brooklyn school system.   
  
“Jake, please stop looking at Amy like that. I’m begging you.”  
  
“Like what?”  
  
“Like if I wasn’t here you’d start doing it on the table.”  
  
“Who says we wouldn’t just because you’re here,” Amy says, voice flirty.  
  
“Amy,” Jake says, sounding shocked, and delighted.  
  
“Dude!”  
  
“I’m sorry!”  
  
“Whatever. What should I do?”  
  
“Um…” Amy says, looking like this is a trick question. “Tell...her?”  
  
“What? No. I can’t do that.”  
  
“Why?” Jake says, bemused.  
  
“Because,” Rosa says. “Because…”  
  
Actually, she’s not really sure why. The worst Gina can do is reject her. And Gina doesn’t work with them anymore, so she could easily arrange it to where she never has to see her again. Okay, she’s gonna do this.  
  
“I’m gonna do this.” She says, taking a swig of Jake’s drink and ignoring his annoyed “Hey!,” and leaves.  
  
“Let us know how it goes!” Amy calls after her.  
  
“With detail!” Jake adds.  
  
Amy elbows him in the stomach. “Gross!”  
  
“Ouch! Not like that! I just wanna hear the exact words of how Rosa would make a declaration of love! God, Amy, don’t be a perv.”  


* * *

  
Rosa stands outside Gina’s apartment, psyching herself up. She can do this. She’s climbed a mountain before. She’s been held at gunpoint. She’s done all sorts of things that were a lot more dangerous than this. She can _ask a girl out, dammit._  
  
Gina’s door swings open and Rosa turns to see Gina standing in the doorway. “You ever gonna knock are or are you just gonna keep pacing in my hallway?”  
  
“I’m not pacing,” Rosa says.  
  
“Uh, yeah,” Gina says, “Ya were.”  
  
“Whatever. That’s not why I’m here.”  
  
“Okay,” Gina says, drawing out the vowels. “So…”  
  
“So, what?”  
  
“So, why _are_ you here then?”  
  
“Oh, right.”  
  
Gina’s starting to look at her like she’s worried about Rosa’s sanity. Rosa would be looking at herself like that if she were in her place.  
  
“I...like you.”  
  
“Well, duh, of course, you do. I’m amazing.”  
  
Rosa closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, forcing herself to remember _why_ it is she likes Gina.  
  
“I _meant_ \---”  
  
“I know what you meant,” Gina says. “I’m just messing with you. Now, will you get in here, so we can make out already?”  
  
Rosa grins and steps into the apartment. She puts her hands on Gina’s waist, Gina’s own hands coming to rest on her shoulders.  
  
Their lips touch and Gina tastes like…Rosa doesn’t know how to describe what she tastes like.  
  
“What is that?” Rosa asks, pulling back.  
  
“Huh?” Gina asks, looking a little dazed and feels a little too proud at that.  
  
“Your lip gloss. Lipstick. Whatever. What flavor is that?”  
  
“ _Oh_. Coffee and lemon.”  
  
“That’s…” Fitting. Two things that shouldn’t go well together but somehow still work. Kinda like Gina and herself. Not that she’s getting sentimental or anything.  
  
“Amazing, I know. Can we please make out now?” Gina asks, voice borderline begging.  
  
Rosa gets the feeling that she’s gonna be hearing that whiny voice a lot in her future.  
  
She’s looking forward to it.


End file.
